Mechanism for Displaying Pictures, Figures or Signs Produced on a Timepiece Dial

ABSTRACT

The inventive mechanism comprises a series of toothed wheels meshing each with other or by groups and driven by a mobile which is connected to a basic timepiece movement by means of a mobile, wherein each toothed wheel is superimposed by a disc carrying pictures, figures or signs and rotating in a corresponding bore of the timepiece dial.

The object of the invention is a mechanism for display of animateddrawings, figures or signs on a timepiece dial.

For a number of years, “novelty” models (of a “fun” or psychedelicnature) have existed on the watch market, including certain Swatches orSilberstein watches or the Opus III by Harry Winston.

All of these timepieces present the particularity of being original andin line with a fashion mood, but in general their major fault isdifficulty in reading the time.

The display mechanism according to the invention can equip a manualwinding, automatic, quartz or autoquartz basic movement and presents theparticularity of animating the dial of the watch by reconstituting agiven pattern for a chosen period (from one minute to 24 hours).

The additional mechanism for display of animated drawings, figures orsigns on a timepiece dial is characterised in that it comprises at leastone toothed wheel placed under an opening of a dial of a timepiece anddriven by means of a mobile which is itself linked with the basicmovement of the timepiece, the toothed wheel being surmounted by a smallplate carrying a drawing, a figure or a sign designed to be animated inrelation to the dial.

According to one mode of execution, the mechanism comprises severaltoothed wheels linked with each other or controlled separately or ingroups.

The mechanism may comprise a first series of 12 toothed wheels placed onthe outer part of the mechanism and second series of 6 toothed wheelsplaced between the centre of the dial and the first series of 12 toothedwheels.

In a preferred mode of execution, the small plates surmounting thetoothed wheels are disks designed to rotate in a corresponding openingof the dial. The disks may be positioned at the same level as the dialor positioned to stand out with respect to the level of the dial orinlaid under the dial.

The mechanism may be constructed to animate at least one or severalgroups of disks. The disks are generally used to animate a design or animage. They may however, in a variant, animate the hour, the minute, themonth, the days of the week, the seasons, the equinoxes, the solstices,day and night, etc.

The drawing represents, as an example, a mode of execution of amechanism for display of animated drawings, figures or signs on atimepiece dial, the object of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of the mechanism,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the mechanism, the dial of the mechanism havingbeen equipped with figures to be animated,

FIG. 3 is view similar to that in FIG. 1, the mechanism having beenplaced in animation,

FIG. 4 is a top view of the drive device of a mechanism as shown inFIGS. 1 to 3,

FIG. 5 is a cross section along the line V-V in FIG. 4.

The mechanism shown in the drawing is presented in the form of anadditional module which can equip timepieces, notably a manual windingbasic movement, an automatic movement or a quartz or autoquartzmovement. It presents the particularity of animating the dial of thetimepiece by reconstituting a given pattern or drawing for a periodchosen beforehand, for example one minute, one hour or 12 or 24 hours.

FIG. 1 explains the layout of moving parts of the dial. This layout isnot exhaustive and may be modified at will, but the figure represents anexample of a drawing, made in accordance with the quantity of possibledial designs.

The mechanism (1) consists of twelve disks (2) distributed uniformly onthe minute track of a dial (3) and placed midway between the positionsof the hour pointers. Alternatively, the position of the disks (2) couldcoincide with the point at which the pointers indicating the hours areusually located.

An additional series of six disks (4) of the same diameter as the disks(2) are distributed concentrically around the dial (3) and positioned atan angular half-pitch value with respect to the first series of twelvedisks (2). All of the disks (2 and 4) will be driven by the mechanism asdescribed below and the disks (2 and 4) will be placed in correspondingopenings in the dial (3), so that they are in the same plane as the dial(3).

When the mechanism (1) drives the disks (2 and 4), the uncut part of thedial (3) retains the decoration in a fixed way; the 18 disks, for theirpart, may be animated in rotation at a speed chosen between less than aminute and more than a day (FIGS. 2 and 3). The image represented inFIG. 2 is thus broken up and it is reconstituted after a certain periodof time to return to the drawing in FIG. 2.

In the case cited above, the disks (2 and 4) are trailing, that is tosay they move in a linear fashion, forming the drawing on the dialprogressively without ever really stopping on the image. The mechanism(1) can however be constructed to pause on the reconstituted image. Inaddition, a disk or a series of disks (2 and 4) can be drivenindependently from the others, so as to obtain special visual effectsduring the partial or complete reconstitution of the image.

The mechanism carrying the disks (2 and 4) is represented in FIG. 4 andfunctions as follows: The wheel or mobile (10) is attached to a mobilewhich is part of the basic movement of the timepiece which is fittedwith the additional mechanism (1), like for example the hour wheel of abasic calibre or its minute wheel work, or any other mobile.

The mobile (10) rotates in the clockwise direction and meshes directlywith a mobile (11) which rotates in the anti-clockwise direction. Thelatter drives a wheel (12) in the clockwise direction. The wheel (12) isidentical to the other 17 wheels (12 and 13) composing the mobile (18including it). These 18 wheels successively represent the 6 inner wheels(12) and the 12 outer wheels (13). Each of these wheels carries a disk(2, 4). These disks are visible on the dial side and give by theirmovement the desired animation on the dial side. In our case, it is anadded patch which has a disk effect and which is attached to thesewheels (12, 13). As can be seen in the drawing, these wheels (12, 13)have the same diameter. The wheel (12) rotating in the clockwisedirection is positioned at the same height level as the other 5 wheels(12) in its group, causing the mobiles to rotate alternately in theclockwise and anti-clockwise direction. The number of wheels in thegroup being even, this enables the last wheel to mesh with the firstwheel without blocking it as it is rotating in the opposite direction.These 6 wheels can therefore be driven by any one of these 6 wheels. Inother words, the pinion (11) may be located angularly all around themobile (10) in such a way as to mesh with one of the 6 wheels (12).

The 12 outer wheels (13) of the same diameter as the 6 wheels citedabove are positioned at a different height so that the teeth of thesewheels do not touch the lower wheels (12). The pinion (14) acting on 2different heights receives its speed of rotation from the group of 6wheels and redistributes it to the group of 12 wheels. This pinion (14)may be positioned at any point provided that its pitch diameter istangent to a wheel in the inner group and tangent to a wheel in theouter group. The number of wheels in the group of 12 being even, thedirection of rotation of the mobile is alternately clockwise andanti-clockwise, therefore allowing the describing of a loop withoutstopping the mobiles.

FIG. 5 shows the two levels of meshing of the group of 6 wheels and thegroup of 12 wheels. It represents a cross section between an inner wheel(12) and an adjacent outer wheel (13). We notice in the cross section inFIG. 5 the two level heights between the inner wheels (12) and the outerwheels (13). On these wheels (12 and 13) are placed patches (not shown)representing the disks in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The mechanism represented in the drawing may comprise an impulse device(not shown) constructed to move the disks (2 and/or 4) in jerks of 30°for example on each jump. It would thus be possible to indicate the timeusing the 12 disks (13); the design or image placed on the disks (13)would then be the succession of numbers representing the twelve hoursand the image would thus be broken up with the exception of a singledisk indicating the time. The movement (successive recomposing of thenumbers) is timed by the impulses received by the centre mobile of ourmodule when it is assembled on a jumping hour movement or module. Thejumping hour movement or module inevitably contains an hour wheel whichjumps, as its name suggests, from hour to hour, making jumps of 30°.

The advantage of this arrangement is that it is possible to indicate thetime without an hour hand if desired, the number representing thecurrent hour being recomposed in one go and remaining displayed for afull hour.

Reading of the time becomes easier than in the case of a trailingmechanism like the previous one, but another advantage is that it ispossible to use the hour hand of the basic mechanism, for two purposes:

-   -   to allow easy standard reading of the time;    -   to use this hour hand or the number (according to the choice or        the taste of the final wearer) as a second time zone.

The hour hand can be replaced by a transparent disk (sapphire disk)comprising a translucent area of a different colour so as to indicatethe place at which the recomposed number must be read, thus facilitatingquick reading of the time.

The mechanism which has just been described in FIGS. 1 to 5 of thedrawing offers the following possibilities:

-   -   The disks (2 and 4) may or may not appear on the dial, that is        to say that it is possible to move only one of them or a desired        number between 1 and 18 or several groups of disks.    -   The disks (2 and 4) are or are not positioned at the same level        as the level (0) of the dial (they may stand out or be inlaid).    -   The design or the decorations of these dials may or may not        represent a coherent design.    -   The disks (2 and 4) may be treated galvanically or by all        currently known means of dial decoration, i.e. mounted,        jewelled, engine-turned, transferred; engraved, cut, etc.    -   The disks (2 and 4) may all be identical transfers or they may        be different, grouped by type or not.

The mechanism is constructed to perform the action of disassembling andreconstituting a single design, sign or logo or several designs, signsand logos on the same dial.

The mechanism may control the 12 outer disk (2) in one of the ways citedabove, but rotate the 6 inner disks (4) (or only one of these disks) ata speed different from that of the 12 outer disks (2), so as to indicatefor example AM/PM by means of coloured disks alternately representingday and night.

The mechanism has the possibility of added to a mechanism with atourbillon carriage or any other mechanism implying that one or moredisks are not used. For example, 8 disks may be removed to allow thetourbillon carriage to pass through.

With regard to the materials used: Depending on the range and quantityof the parts manufactured, the components forming the mechanism (dials,disks (2 and 4), wheels (12, 13), etc.) may be made of machined orinjected synthetic materials or machined or injected metal.

According to a preferred mode of execution, the mechanism cited as anexample has an external diameter of 30 mm and contains disks visible onthe dial side with a diameter of 5.7 mm. The dial has a thickness of 0.4mm.

Obviously, for the same principle used in a smaller-sized watch, forexample a ladies' watch, or a watch of intermediate size, the dimensionsof the dial and the disks will be different. Finally, the number ofthese disks may vary between 1 and 50.

The mechanism may furthermore be used for larger timepieces (rangingfrom small clocks to floral clocks in squares in large towns).

The series of 6 inner disks (4) may be replaced by 7 disks whichindicate the day of the week (Monday to Sunday) and the series of 12outer disks (2) would indicate the months and the transfer or design ofthe dial which could comprise the four seasons, the equinoxes and thesolstices, etc.

According to a variant of the mechanism, it is possible cover the gearsof the 18 mobiles (12, 13) of the module shown in FIG. 4 with a plate.This plate then comprises 18 holes of small diameter positioned on theaxes of rotation of the 18 wheels enabling pins to come out through theholes to move objects attached to their end. These objects may take theform of small plates of various shapes (all possible geometrical shapes)with the aim either of animating parts in three dimensions or using themas “covers” for the lower plate. These shapes may give the impression ofbeing actuated by each other. For example, with half-circles alternatelyshowing “hearts” and “spades”, the whole dial can be decoratedalternately with “hearts” and “spades”.

These parts added at the end of the pins may be shapes capable ofpassing from one part to another a precious stone mounted in acylindrical cap so that this stone indicates the minute. If 12 diskscomplete one revolution in 10 minutes, or one half-turn in 5 minutes,they carry the stone from one module to another along a gallery milledin the basic dial in 12×5 minutes=60 minutes.

Finally, it is possible for the disks required to be rotated not to belocated in the same parallel plane as the plane in which the hours andminutes are indicated. For example, it is possible to imagine a conicalbezel with disks arranged in a circular fashion in the plane of the coneand, in order to operate the small disks in another plan, their beinglinked with a carbon fibre cable or equivalent.

1. Mechanism for display of animated drawings, figures or signs on atimepiece dial, wherein it comprises at least one toothed wheel placedunder an opening of a dial of a timepiece and driven by means of amobile which is itself linked with the basic movement of the timepiece,the toothed wheel being surmounted by a small plate carrying a drawing,a figure or a sign designed to be animated in relation to the dial. 2.Mechanism according to claim 1, wherein it comprises several toothedwheels linked with each other or controlled separately or in groups. 3.Mechanism according to claim 2, wherein it comprises a first series of12 toothed wheels placed on the outer part of the mechanism. 4.Mechanism according to claim 3, wherein it comprises a second series of6 toothed wheels placed between the centre of the dial and the firstseries of 12 toothed wheels.
 5. Mechanism according to claim 3, whereinthe small plates surmounting the toothed wheels are disks designed torotate in a corresponding opening in the dial.
 6. Mechanism according toclaim 5, wherein the disks are positioned at the same level as the dial.7. Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the disks are positioned tostand out with respect to the level of the dial or be inlaid under thedial.
 8. Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the mechanism isconstructed to animate at least one or several groups of disks. 9.Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the disks are used to displayany chosen design, image or sign, or the hour, the minute, the month,the days of the week, the seasons, the equinoxes, the solstices, day andnight etc.
 10. Mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the disks and thedial are treated galvanically or are mounted, jewelled, engine-turned,transferred, engraved, cut, etc.
 11. Mechanism according to claim 1,wherein it is constructed to drive the small plates or the disks atconstant speed.
 12. Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein it isconstructed to drive the small plates or the disks in jumpscorresponding to an instantaneous angular movement of, for example, 30°.13. Mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the small plates surmountingthe toothed wheels are disks designed to rotate in a correspondingopening in the dial.
 14. Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein thedisks and the dial are treated galvanically or are mounted, jewelled,engine-turned, transferred, engraved, cut, etc.
 15. Mechanism accordingto claim 5, wherein it is constructed to drive the small plates or thedisks at constant speed.